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<title>a phantom perhaps by thewinifred</title>
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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27156574">a phantom perhaps</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/thewinifred/pseuds/thewinifred'>thewinifred</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Original Work</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Gen</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 23:27:14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,180</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27156574</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/thewinifred/pseuds/thewinifred</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A tribute to your mind brings me to the edge of the universe, peering into pools of worlds which do not exist -  I'm teetering on the edge of a cliff, gazing down at what I cannot comprehend, just trying to understand what you see when you drift off into your own space. Show me what you can fathom of your dark.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Original Female Character/Original Male Character</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>a phantom perhaps</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amizore/gifts">Amizore</a>.</li>



    </ul></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You used to walk through this park on your way to school every day. You haven't been to it in years.</p><p> </p><p>There is a styrofoam coffee cup going cold in your hands as you stand in front of an old swing, gazing up at its rusted red bar in thought. Grey clouds gather above, twisting gently together as autumn breathes gold into leaves and exhales against the exposed skin of your arms and ankles. You've worn a pink shirt today, its fabric peeking out from your thin jacket. Its light hues rise up and bleed into the world, pulling you into another dimension, where the playground is just as cool and barren, where you stand in the same position as before, but instead of empty space you're looking up at a giggling girl in pink dress and striped tights, legs swinging wildly in every direction with fingers twisted around the red bar. Except it is green now. <em>Was</em> green, you correct yourself. It was green years ago - but no, it still looks green to you right now, your thoughts have not yet allowed you to return to the present.</p><p>This girl's laughter rings in your ears, voice the same as yours. You feel your own lips curling into a grin as you remember days spent harassing your sister to stay with you for a while longer so you could play with your friends on your way home from school. Sometimes you would wake up hours early so you could play in the morning, even. Your sister would seat herself down by that bench near the slide, and groan and call out to you to calm down, to let your other friends have a turn, and not to dare come running to her if you broke something. The girl's fingers curl tighter on viridian and she makes eye contact with you for the first time, bright and mocking. You flinch, smile vanishing.</p><p>"Mizu?"</p><p>And the girl is gone. Turning around, you gaze up and down at the male you see in front of you. Sunglasses pulled up to rest on top of feral black hair, a pair of piercing dark eyes squint beneath shaggy eyebrows at you, utterly unfamiliar.</p><p>You squint back. "Hello.. do I know you? How do you know my name?"</p><p>At the lack of response from him, you try again. "What's with the sunglasses, dude? It's been foggy all day, since morning."</p><p>The male's mouth is invisible, concealed behind a blue scarf which is wound up over his chin and around his neck in a careless knot. Despite this, you instantly get the feeling he is scowling at you. Those thick eyebrows of his knit together, and you wince at the way his forehead wrinkles.</p><p>"You're going to get lines in your skin if you scowl like that," you inform him, and scrunch up your own face as his eyes unexpectedly crinkle at the edges and he lets out a chuckle. The sound makes you huff.</p><p>"You said that same thing to me all the time when we were kids," he says. "Keith Taka. You really don't remember me, at all?"</p><p>You shake your head. You don't even keep up with any of your past friends from college or secondary. Primary school is a lost cause. "Were we classmates?"</p><p>"Yes. Perhaps it's best that you don't remember me. I was awful back then. You never liked me." He adjusts the strap of the backpack he is carrying over his shoulder.</p><p>"You must've been beyond awful, if so," you say. "I liked everybody." Suddenly, your words strike you and you wince, cheeks flushing. "I.. I'm sorry! I really don't remember much."</p><p>Keith snorts at you. "Like I said, it's for the best. If you did remember me, it wouldn't have been for anything good. Used to always get into trouble."</p><p>And just like the girl with happy, mocking eyes from before, memories start flashing back. Over Keith's shoulder, you see a short boy with shaggy hair and a fierce glare directed at you. You see him standing with a slouch in the park, to the side, almost hidden under the shade of the nearby trees. Except it isn't a park anymore. It is a school playground and the boy is alone and you're smiling awkwardly at him when you make eye contact by mistake, trying not to hear the mumbles of your friends about the new weirdo in class who keeps causing trouble with the teachers. He is watching you with an annoyed look that makes you shrink into yourself. The other boys stay away from him. As their hooting and yells to pass the football rise, his dark eyes skid around, following them, before coming to rest at his scuffed shoes, with hands in his pockets.</p><p>Hands in pockets, just like the male standing in front of you. He clicks his tongue and raises an eyebrow. "Earth to Mizu," he says, and his tone indicates he has been trying to get your attention for a few seconds already.</p><p>You flush. "Sorry. What were you saying?"</p><p>"I was asking what you were doing here when I came across you."</p><p>"I was... just taking a walk through the park on my way home from work."</p><p>"Ah, where do you work?"</p><p>Unable to resist, you sneak another look over Keith's shoulder to see the gloomy boy from before. He is not there. You look at Keith. His eyes are earnest. There is nothing haunting or familiar about his face at all. You relax. "At this bookshop a few blocks away from here. My uncle owns it. What about you? Where are you going right now?"</p><p>"Ah, I'm coming back from uni." He jumps a bit as a beep rings out. Stifling your own chuckle at his startled expression, you watch as he fishes out his phone from his pocket and curses as he takes in the message from the lit screen.</p><p>"Everything fine?"</p><p>"Yeah, my brother is just worried that I'm not back at our apartment yet." Looking embarrassed at admitting that, Keith returns his phone into his pocket. You are ready to say goodbye and carry on with your walk, but the expression on his face keeps you standing in place. He seems like he wants to say something. He bites his lip, before giving a sheepish sigh. "See you around," he says.</p><p>"Yeah," you say. Where, you want to ask. When? </p><p>But you smile politely and wave at him as he walks back to the main paved path through the park. Watching him for a few moments, you force yourself to turn back to the swing before you face the risk of being caught by him glancing over his shoulder. </p><p>With a few steps, you settle your unused cup of coffee down, reach out to grab the chains on either side of the nearest seat, and you sit on it. Kicking against the ground, you lean your head back to take in the tranquil grey above, and let yourself sink in to the vague comfort of your own thoughts.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I want to write things for you but man I don't have a good grasp on any canon to trust myself on that. I know you like reader fics; so I figure why not try it with an original work anyway. Who says writing has rules? Just picture yourself as Mizu. Or not. I don't know how any of this works but I hope you enjoy this anyway.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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